1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a hairdresser's aid and, more particularly, to a stiffened masking sheet of flexible material for masking selected strands of a head of hair from other strands of hair, while the selected strands are treated, such as by being subjected to a setting process and/or to bleaching or coloring process.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Masking sheets are generally known in the hairdressing art. For example, GB2140682 discloses a masking sheet. The prior art masking sheet is illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3. Here there is shown a rectangular elongate sheet 1 comprising a rectangular panel 2 of white substantially opaque plastics material and a rectangular panel 3 of substantially transparent plastics material. The panels 2 and 3 are of substantially equal area and are welded one to another along a common edge, or co-extruded, to form a transversely extending hinge 4. An upper transverse marginal edge portion 5 of the panel 2 is joined to an adhesive tape 6 having pressure sensitive contact adhesive applied to a surface thereof, which tape has a margin 7 free of adhesive.
In use, strands of a head of hair are selected by a technique known as “weaving” and the panel 2 is placed under selected strands of hair, as shown at 8 in FIG. 3, of a head of hair 9 such that the margin 7 is located adjacent the scalp of the head 9. The adhesive tape 6 adheres to the selected strands of hair 8 adjacent the scalp such that the sheet 1 is located under and relative to the selected strands of hair 8.
The selected strands of hair 8 subsequently are coated with a liquid coloring substance (not shown) and the panel 3 is folded about the hinge 30 4 and is superimposed on the panel 2 with the selected strands of hair 8 located there between, a transverse marginal edge portion of the panel 3 adhering to the marginal edge portion 5 of the panel 2 by means of the adhesive tape 6 such that a margin 10 of the panel 3 is located adjacent the margin 7.
In this manner, the selected strands of hair 8 are located within an envelope defined by the panels 2 and 3, the hinge 4 and the adhesive tape 6, as shown at 11 in FIG. 3, and are thus isolated from adjacent strands of hair while coloration of the selected strands of hair is completed.
It will be seen that this method involves the step of placing panel 2 under selected strands of hair 8. A hairdresser will do this by lifting of the selected strands of hair 8 with one hand, whilst using the other hand to place panel 2. It has been found that the panel will crumple as it is placed under the selected strands of hair 8. This believed to be because the panel of the known masking sheet is not sufficiently stiff longitudinally.
GB 2140682 discloses stiffening panel 2 by making margin 7 and adhesive tape 6 less flexible. However this does not solve the problem. It also suggests making panel 2 thicker. However, this substantially increases the costs of manufacture as well as making the masking sheet more difficult to mass produce.
A way to ameliorate these problems has been sought.